LII. In this psalm the voice of the community of pious Israel plainly speaks. (See Note, Psalms 52:8.) The traditional title has not the slightest support in the contents or tone of the poem. (See Note, title.) The tyrant, or mighty man, who is addressed, is most probably one of those base time-ser... [ Continue Reading ]
MIGHTY MAN. — Better, _hero_, used sarcastically. LXX. and Vulg., “a mighty one at mischief.” (Comp. Isaiah 5:22 : “a hero at drinking.”) The order of the Hebrew is, however, against this, and in favour of the English, _why dost thou exult in wickedness, O hero, i.e.,_ perhaps, not only his own, but... [ Continue Reading ]
WORKING DECEITFULLY. — Better, _working guile._ (For the metaphor, see Psalms 55:21; Psalms 57:4, _&c_)... [ Continue Reading ]
DEVOURING WORDS. — Literally, _words of swallowing,_ such as swallow down (comp. Psalms 5:9, where the throat is called “an open sepulchre”) a neighbour’s life, honour, and goods.... [ Continue Reading ]
DESTROY. — Better, _tear down,_ as if of a building. TAKE THEE AWAY. — Better, _lay hold of thee._ The Hebrew word is always used of taking a live coal from the hearth. Notice, however, that the exactly opposite is intended of our “pluck a brand from the burning.” Here the idea is of pulling the ho... [ Continue Reading ]
FEAR... LAUGH. — The mingled feelings of awe at the tyrant’s terrible fall, and exultation at his overthrow, are finely caught and described. DWELLING-PLACE. — Better, _tent._ ROOT THEE OUT. — This word, suggestive of rooting up a corrupt tree, becomes more forcible from the contrast in the figure... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I AM LIKE. — The flourishing olive alternates with the vine, in Hebrew poetry, as an emblem of prosperous Israel. (See Jeremiah 11:16; Hosea 14:6.) The epithet “green” hardly refers to the colour so much as the “vigour” of the tree, for the foliage of “wan grey olive wood” cannot be called verda... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE THOU HAST DONE IT. — Better, _because thou workest, i.e., for thy works,_ but spoken in anticipation of future manifestations. I WILL WAIT ON THY NAME.... — Better, _I will wait for thy glory; “_name,” here, after the mention of God’s works in the last clause, being evidently, as so often,... [ Continue Reading ]